Boat fenders are in common use to prevent damage to the boat upon docking. The most popular are cylindrical in shape and are pneumatic or foam-filled with a vinyl or elastomeric outer shell. Typically they have flanges projecting from each end with holes therein for a rope to secure them to the boat. U.S. Pat. Ser. No. et al., 4,628,850 shows a foam-filled type, while Magi D-217,645 illustrates a design configuration in which the end eye-flanges are integral with the shell.
Other types of fenders employ rope loops at each end instead of eyes, which ropes double as hand holders, e.g., Williamson U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 2,885,989 and Bryan D-187,824. The typical rope-type securing arrangement is shown in Hobbs U.S. Pat. Ser. NO. 2,956,530. Securing with ropes has the disadvantage of permitting the fender to roll easily out of position when trapped between the dock and boat. The rotation causes excess rope twisting which results in early rope fatigue, breakage and lost fenders. In addition, the ropes are easily fouled around deck and dock gear, brackets, and stays.
Other patents of interest are: Agra U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 2,753,829; Williamson et al., U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 4,143,796; Strelchuck U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 3,737,329; Stoll U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 4,157,134; Curtis U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 3,173,464; and Moodie U.K. 2,128,076.
Agra U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 2,753,829 shows a boat fender made of a roll of adhesive-faced sheet sponge material inserted in a canvas bag with drawstring top and bottom through grommet holes in the exposed folded hems. A rope bight is trapped in the layers of sponge, and the fender may be hung from one end of the rope.
Williamson et al., U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 4,143,796 shows a collapsible receptacle for dry flowable materials (grain, fertilizers, etc.) comprising a bag having top loading/bottom discharge features secured to a special sling having a bottom ring and four lift straps with loop ends to be hung from a special support stand. The bottom opening has a unique discharge spout including a draw rope and wire tie which functions to gather and close the bottom of the container.
Strelchuck U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 3,737,329 is directed to a sausage casing having cloth tapes stitched to the interior sides, a loose end of which provides a hanger loop.
Stoll U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 4,157,134 shows a bag having opposed sides containing foam flotation material. The exterior may be coated with a fluorescent material.
Curtis U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 3,173,464 shows a diaper storage container of tent like shape, with a rectangular wooden bottom and cloth sides, and which terminates at the top with the cloth gathered around a horizontally oriented wooden bar. The container has a vertical access slit and a loop type hanger strap.
Moodie U.K. 2,128,076 shows a generally cylindrical storage bag having an opening wider than its opposite end, a zipper side closure and a drawstring to reduce the girth of the larger open end. It is basically a conical duffel bag having a zippered side and a triangular gusset, inside and between the zipper tapes, to prevent stowed articles from catching the zipper teeth during closure.
Another approach is to employ fenders secured to docks or mooring poles. Old rubber tires are often used both on boats and docks where larger ships are moored. However these cause black marks on pleasure boats whose hulls are usually wood, resin such as gel-coated fiberglass, or aluminum. Porter in U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 3,475,914 shows use of three foam cylinders in a triple-pocket apron having a flap that fits over a mooring pole. The assembly is then lashed around the pole.
Further, dock conditions vary widely, and older wooden or cement docks cause significant abrasion, scuffing, and early failure of fenders. The dirty and marked fenders are difficult if not impossible to clean because of their plastic or elastomeric composition; the ground-in dirt is embedded in the surface or trapped in the abraded areas.
To our knowledge there is no cover available for fenders which protects them against abrasion and is removable for cleaning, and also functions to provide a better means for securing the fender to the boat. Accordingly, there is a great need in the art for such an assembly. Those and other purposes and functions are provided by our invention.